


A Little Help From My Friends

by GarnetSeren



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Crew as Family, F/M, Song Lyrics, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-30 02:33:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11454156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GarnetSeren/pseuds/GarnetSeren
Summary: Everyone knows how bad a dancer Shepard is, but what isn't as widely known, is that he's actually a rather good singer. Will a quiet moment with the rest of the crew reveal the secret?***Originally posted on FF.net as part of a music prompt series. If you have any requests for songs/pairings, please feel free to comment on this oneshot.***





	A Little Help From My Friends

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Church-Caboose-Shepard](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Church-Caboose-Shepard).



It was documented, _very_ well documented in fact... even if you didn't take into consideration the myriad of embarrassing vids the crew had taken, at various opportunities throughout the years... that Commander Shepard couldn't dance, not even a simple two step. What wasn't documented, not even by the Shadow Broker herself, was that he was actually a fairly good singer. So it was with some surprise when Donnelly began to hum, during a particularly long standoff between him and Garrus during one of the crew's weekly poker nights, that the commander took up the tune and began to sing, albeit under his breath, in a rich baritone voice.

"What would you think if I sang out of tune, would you stand up and walk out on me?" he muttered, melodically.

"Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song, and I'll try not to sing out of key," Ken joined in, his broad Scottish accent adding an interesting lilt to the song.

"Oh I get by with a little help from my friends," Adams added.

"Mm I get high with a little help from my friends," Ashley sang from her spot at the bar. She raised her glass to them, as the guys regarded her.

James gave her his trademark grin. "Mm going to try with a little help from my friends." Adding some Latino flare, as he stood up to showcase some basic Rumba steps whilst he sang.

Garrus, Liara and Tali all exchanged, one that said: 'Humans are weird', complete bemused by the humans' suddenly breaking out into song.  
  
"This is like a really bad vid I had to suffer back at C-Sec, during one of their 'Cultural Bonding' nights, what do the humans call it? A Musical?" Garrus drawled.

"Primitives," Javik muttered angrily, before storming out of the Starboard Observation Lounge, presumably to his quarters down in Engineering.

Ignoring the prothean's outburst, Shepard continued the song; louder than he had before, encouraged by his comrades joining in. "What do I do when my love is away?"

"Does it worry you to be alone?" Joker duetted.

"How do I feel by the end of the day?"

"Are you sad because you're on your own?"

Shepard and Joker's voices complimented each other surprisingly well, and there was a small around of applause from the junior crew members once they finished their lines.

"Is this standard human bonding practice, Jeff?" EDI's asked, using her robotic body to address the pilot.

"Yeah... you could say that," Joker smiled, throwing and arm around his girlfriend's shoulders.

"No I get by with a little help from my friends," Doctor Chakwas sang softly, absentmindedly swirling her Serrice Ice Brandy around her glass as she did.

"Mm I get high with a little help from my friends," Adams called back to her, pulling an almost coy smile from the doctor.

"Mm going to try with a little help from my friends," Tali hesitantly joined in, the slight shake to her voice evident even over her voice modulator.  
  
There was a chorus of whoops at the quarian's, very commendable, attempt.

"Bien hecho, Sparks," James laughed.

Next, Cortez and Traynor took up the dueted chorus: "Do you need anybody?" Steve sang

"I need somebody to love," Samantha replied.

"Could it be anybody?" Steve opened is arms in a grandiose manner, effectively gesturing around the whole room.

"I want somebody to love" Samantha barely managed to sing her line before it subsided into a fit of giggles.

Beaming at EDI, Joker took up the mantle again. "Would you believe in a love at first sight?" he sang.

"Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time" Shepard returned the duet.  
  
He held his hand out to Liara, who blushed an adorable shade of indigo as she went to sit in his lap.

"What do you see when you turn out the light?" Joker continued.

"I can't tell you, but I know it's mine," Shepard raised a suggestive eyebrow at the asari in his lap, as he finished the line.

"Oh, Keelah," Tali exclaimed.  
  
Somehow, the quarian had managed to make her sentence sound like a verbal facepalm, earning a wave of laughter from everyone present.

"Oh I get by with a little help from my friends," Diana Allers unexpectedly joined in.

"Mm I get high with a little help from my friends," Chakwas sang, smiling.

"Oh I'm going to try with a little help from my friends." Ashley replied. The Lieutenant flung a friendly, if not slightly tipsy, arm around the doctor.

"Do you need anybody?" Ken crooned

"I just need somebody to love," Gabby harmonised.

Cheekily, Donnelly grabbed his fellow engineer's hand. "Could it be anybody?"

"I want somebody to love," Gabby practically purred.

"Oh, get a room already," Ashley goaded, a wide grin plastered over her face.

"Oh I get by with a little help from my friends," Shepard sang, gently rocking the asari in his lap to the rhythm of the song.

"Mm going to try with a little help from my friends," Liara attempted, easily holding the tune.  
  
She was awarded for her efforts with a tight, squeezing hug from Shepard.

"Oh I get high with a little help from my friends," EDI added. The AI had no problem matching the tempo, and her synthesised voiced had a surprisingly nice quality as she sang.

"Yes I get by with a little help from my friends," Joker replied, his beaming smile getting impossibly wider as he regarded her.

"With a little help from my amigos," James finished, laughing.

"I'm convinced, this is another reaper ploy. That or you've all gone crazy," Garrus stated dryly, shaking his head, though his mandibles were flared in a lopsided turian grin.

"Nothing wrong with being a little loco, Scars," James laughed.

Garrus didn't miss a beat. "You'd know, Jimmy."

"You're a surprisingly good singer," Liara told Shepard.

"Oh, don't sound shocked now," he replied, a mock look of hurt on his face.

Ashley snorted. "Sorry Skipper, but your dancing skills don't lend much confidence."

"Insubordination," Shepard stated, trying to achieve his 'Commander' voice, and failing miserably.

"Dancing? Is that what you call it?" Garrus drawled. "I thought it was a tactical assault aimed at having the reapers laugh themselves to death."

"Mutiny," the commander grumbled, trying to hide the laughter in his voice.

"You could be right, even I can dance better, and that's with the two inevitable broken legs," Joker chuckled.

"Why the hell am I friends with you lot?" Shepard asked, feigning annoyance.

"Because you couldn't find anyone else crazy enough to willing go on suicide missions with you," Liara stated, calmly.

Shepard nodded, acting like he was considering her words an astounding new revelation. "You have a point," he conceded, before raising his glass of neat whiskey. "To the best bunch of crazies a guy could wish for," he toasted.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note:  
> Wrote as a gift fic for Church-Caboose-Shepard over on FF.net, using his male Shepard. Inspired by the Beatles song of the same name.


End file.
